


Exception

by 10Blue10



Series: Ex [5]
Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Concubinage, Erotic Poetry, M/M, Nightmares, Questioning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-22
Updated: 2019-03-22
Packaged: 2019-11-28 01:10:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18201452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/10Blue10/pseuds/10Blue10
Summary: Hiccup and Toothless return to Berk, so Hiccup can defend their relationship against the naysayers of the village. Yet Stoick has had a week to cool his head, and realises that his son's happiness should be more important than the views of the villagers, even if they are his people. Of course, that doesn't mean he knows what to do about this issue, until Hiccup suggests a solution that is simple, but inspired... and all Stoick has to do is make one little exception to the rules.





	Exception

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sarahenany](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarahenany/gifts), [Thursday26](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thursday26/gifts).



Hiccup woke to find Toothless licking him. “Uh…bud?” He yawned. “Wha…?” 

The licking abruptly stopped. *Sorry* Toothless whimpered. *I just…sorry.* 

“No, it’s okay” he murmured sleepily, “what’s wrong? You have a bad dream?” 

Whining a little, the dragon nodded. Hiccup shifted so he could see his lover’s face better and forced his eyes to stay open. “What happened? Talk to me” he encouraged, scratching at Toothless’ neck. The dragon sighed in pleasure at his touch; they’d dragged Hiccup’s bed, covered in the furs that Gobber had packed for them, over to his sleeping stone. His wing was Hiccup’s blanket. 

He tried to remember the dream. *I…I forgot you.* Toothless shuddered. *We never went to Myrkr…we never heart bound…I had to go away from you, and I _forgot_ you.* He whimpered and nuzzled Hiccup forcefully, needing the reassurance that his mate was there with him, alive and well. Soft human hands stroked up and down his head and neck, as Hiccup hushed him gently. 

“Shhh. It’s okay, I’m here. I’m here. It was just a bad dream. We did go to Myrkr, we are heart bound, and you don’t have to go away from me. I don’t want you to” he admitted. “As for forgetting me…well, _if_ we weren’t heart bound, and I passed away before you, then yeah…maybe you would…” Toothless pulled back and stared at him in horror. Hiccup paused. “Uh…what did I say?” 

*You think I _would_ forget you?* Toothless asked, appalled. 

“If we weren’t heart bound! Toothless, I said ‘if’. Night Furies can live for three hundred years, you said. Or four hundred. Even if I lived to be, say…eighty or so, and you were there till the end – and I’d want you to be – that’s still a tiny span in your whole lifetime. I wouldn’t blame you if you forgot about it after a while.” 

Toothless shook his head vigorously, tail lashing in agitation. *No, no, no, no. I won’t forget. I couldn’t, I’d never…even if we weren’t heart bound, I could _never_ forget you, Hiccup. You are my whole world.* Toothless looked at him in the way that made him melt inside, eyes filled with tender awe, and Hiccup couldn’t resist leaning in to press a kiss to his mouth. “I couldn’t forget you, either.” 

Toothless kissed him again, but they were both too tired to go much further. Clearly they’d worn one another out earlier that night. Fishlegs and the twins were asleep in their own huts, or so Hiccup assumed. He was grateful to them, for coming and talking to him. For trying to understand where he was coming from. He knew this changed everything, but he still wanted to be their friend. 

Hiccup found himself thinking about their reactions. He probably should have expected the twins to be on board; the weirder something was, the more excited they were about it. Still, he had to admit, it was nice to have his and Toothless’ love treated as something romantic and special, rather than unnatural and wrong. He half-dreaded hearing Ruffnut’s saga, however. 

Fishlegs, likewise, had started to come around. He said later that he now thought Hiccup and Toothless’ affections for each other were sweet. Sort of weird and gross, given the context, but touching nonetheless. Of course Tuffnut had started making innuendos at that, so the two of them had dumped him in the lagoon. Then Toothless had pushed him in, and he’d wound up half-naked wrapped in Toothless’ wings to warm and dry off, which was probably the idea. 

So three of his friends were still his friends. That was good. As for Snotlout’s reaction…Hiccup suspected that the proclaimed distancing was something his father had told him to say. Snotlout _had_ tried to apologise, so maybe he’d come around once he learned more about the whole affair. It would be a shame if he didn’t, but Hiccup could live with that. Which only left him with one loose end… 

Astrid. He honestly didn’t know if she’d ever take him back, or if he’d blown it with her entirely. Hiccup didn’t regret what he’d done; he loved Toothless, and Toothless loved him. He _did_ regret not making more of an effort to talk to Astrid, help her understand his perspective, try to understand hers. Hiccup tried to be optimistic – maybe once they talked things out, it would get better. 

* * *

The next morning, he and Toothless walked into the clubhouse yawning. Fishlegs and the twins were already in there; Ruffnut looked up from the parchment she was hunched over and smirked at them. “Well, well, look who decided to join us! You two sounded like you were having fun last night.” 

Rather than blush and fidget like she’d hoped, Hiccup just returned her smirk and took a seat at the table. “We did, actually. What, were you eavesdropping or something? Your hut isn’t anywhere near ours” he pointed out, grabbing some bread and buttering it. Toothless, meanwhile, strolled over to the bucket of fish Barf&Belch were eating out of and and appropriated some for himself. 

“Yeah, but you were being so loud _._ So tell us, Hiccup”, she said conspiratorially, “what _exactly_ did you do to make Toothless roar like that?” 

Hiccup swallowed his mouthful and countered, “What makes you think that was Toothless?” There was a pause, and then Ruffnut cackled in glee, whilst Tuffnut grinned and Fishlegs turned crimson. Hiccup felt a bit sorry for him, but given the subject matter… “I still think you were eavesdropping. So much for privacy!” 

“Maybe we were, maybe we weren’t. So, what did he do to you?” she asked. 

“I never kiss and tell” Hiccup retorted, “now let me eat breakfast, I’m starving.” 

“Can’t imagine why” she teased him, but it didn’t have quite the effect she wanted. Still, Ruffnut decided she rather liked this confident, sexy Hiccup. “Okay, fine, but whilst you’re stuffing your face, you wanna hear my saga?” 

“….I guess. I’m not sure you _can_ make a saga out of me and Toothless boffing.” 

Ruffnut stuck her tongue out at him. “Oh yeah? Listen to this!” She cleared her throat dramatically and began to read from the top of the piece of parchment. 

 

“Dragon Master and his steed, 

Loyal, steadfast, clever, brave, 

Legendary are his deeds, 

Battles won and people saved. 

 

Rumours of a distant shore,

Land of darkness, to the west, 

Home to dragons long searched for, 

Lured him out upon this quest. 

 

Caught by hunters, almost used 

To train dragons up for war,

Beaten when he still refused,

Stabbed when he resisted more. 

 

Life thread nearly cut in twain, 

If not for his Night Fury, 

Who bound their hearts, shares his pain, 

Soulmates for eternity.”

 

She paused for a drink, but so far Hiccup was rather impressed. “Wow. I don’t know what I was expecting, but that’s actually really good” he complimented. 

Ruffnut grinned at him, which was terrifying, and picked up where she left off.

 

“Then each other they explored,

Building trust with scale on skin, 

But our Hiccup wanted more 

Of Toothless, the sexy thing. 

 

To the dragon he confessed 

His secret and pining crush, 

Because Toothless is the best

At turning his heart to mush.

 

 

They knew that it was not right, 

That their love was a disgrace. 

Yet passion’s fire did ignite, 

Nakedly they did embrace! 

 

Toothless quickly turned him on, 

Good thing his door had a lock!

Snogged and licked him with that tongue, 

Mounted him with throbbing co” –

 

“ _Alright!_ ” Hiccup exclaimed, face crimson, tears of mirth rolling down his cheeks. Sometime around the sixth stanza they’d begun snickering, and now they were howling. Even the dragons were laughing, though that may have been more at the human’s reactions than the poem itself. “Okay! That was…well, it, uh…” he shook his head. “I have no idea what to say to that.” 

Ruffnut pouted exaggeratedly. “Say you love it! I’ve got plenty more stanzas about your passionate love affair, even though I don’t have any _details_.”

Hiccup raised an eyebrow. “And you’re not getting any” he said calmly, before remarking “I didn’t know you were into this sort of thing. Sagas, I mean.” 

Ruffnut gave him a grin that was just a few shades away from being a leer. “There’s a _lot_ you don’t know about me, Hiccup” she murmured huskily, leaning forwards to invade his personal space. Toothless shoved his head between them, forcing Ruffnut to sit back. “Aw, don’t worry, Toothless. I was just teasing; I’m not gonna steal your man” she reassured the over-protective dragon. 

“Why not? He stole Astrid’s man” Tuffnut said blithely. The others gave him flat stares of disapproval. He just shrugged and asked “What? They broke up!” 

“She broke up with me” Hiccup felt the need to clarify. “I wanted to try and work things out. If Astrid changes her mind, then great, and if she doesn’t, I’ll live. But I’m not going to break up with Toothless just to please her, and I’m not going to bed her for an heir just to please the village” he declared firmly. 

Fishlegs cleared his throat nervously, and spoke up for the first time since Hiccup had entered the clubhouse. “I’ve been thinking about what you said…and I think it might convince people. Not everyone, of course, but some.” 

“That’s good. It’s a start, at least” Hiccup nodded. “Why do I feel like there’s a catch?” he inquired rhetorically. Fishlegs gave a very audible wince. 

“Well…I think it…it would be more convincing coming from you” he explained. 

Hiccup stiffened. Toothless nuzzled him reassuringly. *It will be alright, love.* He reached up to hold his mate against his heart and met Fishlegs’ eyes across the table. “Fish, what are you saying? I thought you were going to pass it on.” 

“Yeah, but what if I forgot something? Or they asked a question I didn’t know the answer to?” Fishlegs pointed out. “Besides, if you and Toothless stay out here, then we’ll have to go all the way back to Berk, tell them what you said, then fly all the way back here to tell you what they said…it would be a lot simpler for everyone if you came back with us” he explained, reasonably. 

Hiccup sighed. What Fishlegs was saying made a lot of sense; he didn’t particularly relish the idea of explaining his unusual choice in bed partner to the villagers, but he couldn’t expect his friends to shoulder that burden instead. “What do you think, bud?” he asked Toothless, stroking his mate affectionately. The dragon crooned to him. He looked up at Fishlegs. “We’ll come back.” 

Fishlegs nodded. “That’s another thing. I believe you can understand dragons, but I bet you some people in the village won’t…” 

* * *

Stoick paced back and forth outside the Great Hall. He was expecting Fishlegs to come back any moment now – with the twins, and if he was lucky, with Hiccup. As for what he was going to do when his son and his son’s draconic lover were back on Berk…Stoick had absolutely no idea. He was still having trouble wrapping his head around it all. Hiccup. Toothless. Mating. His brain hurt. 

“You’re gonna wear a groove into the rock at this rate” Gobber commented, the unmistakable _tap-thump_ of his footsteps trudging up behind the chief. “Don’t worry, Stoick. They’ll be back. Hiccup will be back. He’ll listen to them”, the blacksmith tried to reassure his old friend. Stoick heaved a sigh. He was just about to answer – whether to agree or deny it, he didn’t know – but then… 

Somebody shouted, and people pointed up at the sky, towards the north. Stoick turned and shaded his eyes, looking up to see dragons flying towards Berk. He recognised Meatlug and Fishlegs, the twins with Barf&Belch…Hiccup and Toothless. Stoick felt relieved – and then concerned once more, as the Gronckle and Zippleback flew down for a landing, but the Night Fury hovered overhead. 

As soon as Meatlug landed, Fishlegs dismounted and hesitantly approached Stoick. “Well done, lad. You’ve brought Hiccup home…why isn’t he landing?” 

The burly rider winced. “I did as you asked, Chief, and asked Hiccup why he and Toothless were…y’know. He explained and I figured it would be better if people heard it from him direct, instead of me getting stuff wrong…or letting Ruffnut recite her new saga. So he agreed to come back…but he says if you’re gonna interrogate him to do it in the arena. I think he doesn’t want to be cornered.” 

Stoick bit back a groan of frustration. “He really doesn’t trust us, does he?” 

“He, um…it isn’t that he doesn’t trust us, Chief. He’s just…being cautious.” Fishlegs hesitated, and then revealed, “He…thought you’d disowned him.” 

Stoick’s eyes widened in shock. He had never…but he supposed he could see why they’d think that. He considered Hiccup’s request, and then shook his head. He looked up at Toothless and waved the dragon down. Toothless came in for a landing, but Hiccup didn’t dismount, and the pair were clearly poised to bolt at a moment’s notice. He feared he might have lost his son’s trust completely. 

“Hiccup” Stoick said quickly, before the young man could speak, “Welcome back. I’m going to call a Thing, and we’re going to settle…this…” he gestured between his son and the Night Fury, “once and for all. But we’re doing it in the Great Hall. It’s more private” he insisted, speaking over Hiccup’s objections, “and I _promise_ , no one is going to hurt you or Toothless. You have my word.” 

The wary expression on Hiccup’s face didn’t alter. He gave Toothless a questioning look; the dragon glanced from him to Stoick and back again, before nodding. “Okay. We’ll do it your way; but you’ve gotta let my friends bring their dragons with them. Just in case” Hiccup insisted, stubborn as – well, a Viking. 

Stoick tried to hide how hurt he was that his own son was so distrusting of him. “Very well” he conceded, “you two…go in and get ready.” He gestured to the doors of the Hall. Hiccup and Toothless went in, followed by Fishlegs and the twins with their dragons. It was going to be awfully crowded in there. Soon the adults had gathered, and Toothless-Hiccup stood before the chief and council. 

Hiccup kept his chin up and refused to be cowed. He and Toothless had done nothing wrong, beyond being unfaithful to Astrid. Yet that was not a crime. He was not here to accept their judgement; he was here to tell his side of the story, and nothing more. He and Toothless already had a plan for if things went south. 

Stoick called the Thing to order, and looked down at his son. “Hiccup Haddock the Third, you stand here acc” – he paused and tried again. “That is to say, you have been charged with” – Stoick shook his head. “I don’t know what to say. It isn’t even a crime” he pointed out. The crowd murmured and shifted restlessly. 

“So let’s _make_ it a crime” Spitelout suggested bluntly. Stoick glared at him. 

“Ahem. The point is, we know that you and Toothless have been, well…” 

“Making love?” Hiccup finished for him, eyebrows raised. “Or, what was the word you used, cavorting? C’mon, dad, we’re all adults here. Toothless and I have been having sex. Really good, hot, rutting dragon sex” he said blithely. There were cheers from the twins, and sounds of shock or disgust – or both – at the sheer audacity and unseemliness of Hiccup’s bold statement to the chief. 

Spitelout’s voice cut above the noise. “There, you see? He’s pleaded guilty and boasted about it. Chief, I’m sorry, but your son is clearly not worthy of the succession. Perhaps it is time to pick a new heir to lead our people” he remarked. There was little doubt as to whom he was referring. Snotlout gulped and tried to hide behind Hookfang’s bulk, hoping nobody noticed him. 

Gobber scoffed and protested, “Oh, aye, ya mean like your boy? No offence to Snotlout, but I dinnae think he’s Chief material. And besides, as the Chief has pointed out, what Hiccup has done isn’t _technically_ a crime. Not even in the eyes of the gods, as Gothi has shown us.” He bowed as best he could to the elder, and received a polite nod of acknowledgement in return. 

Hiccup smiled gratefully at him. “Thanks, Gobber. And thanks for the supplies, they were really helpful.” 

“Ah, yer welcome” Gobber winked at him. 

Stoick held his hands up. “Alright! Alright, that’s enough. Hiccup” he looked sternly down at his son, “by your own admission, you’ve been engaging in…intercourse with your dragon. I think I speak for everyone when I ask – _why?_ ” he questioned, spreading his hands to encompass both of them. 

Hiccup replied, “Because he loves me, he makes me feel good about myself, and he’s really, really good with his t” – Toothless cut off the end of Hiccup’s sentence with his tail. Stoick felt oddly grateful to the dragon; he wasn’t sure he wanted to hear the rest of that. Hiccup looked at Toothless and admitted, “Yeah, you’re right, they don’t need to know about that bit.” 

“What bit?” Ruffnut exclaimed, “were you gonna tell ‘em about how Toothless” – Barf licked her to keep her from talking, and when that didn’t work, lowered his jaws around her head. “Err…Hiccup? Help? My dragon is trying to eat me!”

Fighting back a grin, Hiccup questioned “Are you gonna stop interrupting?”

“…Yes?” 

Shaking his head, he prompted “Alright, Barf, you can let her go.” The Zippleback head lifted up off his rider, who patted herself down to check she was alive and turned to lecture the dragon. Stoick cleared his throat pointedly, and Ruffnut adopted an expression of intense, if blank, attentiveness. 

Biting back a sigh, the chief looked back down at Hiccup. “You told Gobber and I that you and Toothless are heart bound. So I have to ask – is the heart bind the reason you’ve become, err, interested in your dragon in _that way_?” 

“No, the heart bind didn’t make me want to have sex with Toothless” Hiccup answered immediately, before biting his lip and adding, “but it also didn’t _not_ make me want to make love to him. It didn’t make me fall in love with him, but it helped. It’s complicated. Look, first of all, shouldn’t I prove that we _are_ heart bound? I can’t expect them to take my – or your – word for it, after all.” 

Stoick gave permission. “How are you going to prove it?” he wondered. Hiccup had explained that he and Toothless now felt the other’s pain, but he doubted either of them would be willing to hurt themselves just to prove a point.

“By proving that I can understand the dragons now – and that they can understand us. But I’ll need a volunteer” Hiccup explained, turning to the crowd. They looked at him and Toothless with thinly veiled contempt, or in some cases outright hostility. He mentally shrugged; he’d been expecting this. Toothless’ acceptance meant more to him than the opinions of these people. 

Then someone stepped forwards. “I’ll do it” Sven offered, before inquiring, “Erm, what am I doing, exactly?”

Hiccup looked over at a certain red-and-black Fire-Scale. “Hookfang? Can you bring your head near Sven, please?” he asked politely. Hookfang obligingly lowered his jaws down to the sheep farmers head. Sven moved to avoid the jutting fangs, and looked at Hiccup questioningly. “Okay, so if you whisper something in Hookfang’s ear, he’ll tell me what you said and I’ll repeat it out loud” Hiccup explained, stepping back and pinching his ears shut.

Sven whispered into the dragons ear slit the first thing that came into his head. Then he stepped back. Hiccup lowered his hands from his ears. Hookfang looked at him, vocalised a little, and Hiccup announced “Hookfang says that Sven said ‘my black sheep is always falling down the well.’” 

There was murmuring from the crowd. Stoick looked at the farmer and asked, “Is that what you said?” 

Sven was staring at Hiccup, stunned. “Y-yes, Chief. That’s exactly what I said.” At his admission, the murmuring grew louder. Brief arguments broke out, over whether Hiccup had cheated somehow; but he’d taken measures to ensure that such accusations would hold no weight to them. It was why he’d asked Hookfang to help, rather than Meatlug or Barf&Belch, and covered his ears. 

“Let me try!” Tuffnut cried eagerly. He all but knocked Sven aside as he hurried over and whispered something into Hookfang’s ear. Before he finished, the Fire-Scale snorted in disgust and lifted his head out of the way. 

There was a pause, and then Hiccup reported, “Hookfang says that Tuffnut said…something I’m not gonna repeat, in case Ruffnut calls for a _holmgang._ ” That remark got some laughter, and the tension in the room eased somewhat. 

Part of Stoick wanted to throw the twins out; that was the second time they’d interrupted and gotten everyone off course. When the chuckles died down, he announced “I think that’s proof enough that you can understand the dragons, and vice versa. Now, what exactly is so ‘complicated’ about the heart bind and your, ah, changed relationship with Toothless?” he questioned Hiccup. 

Taking a deep breath, Hiccup began to explain how Toothless had explored him; how his other half’s affection and acceptance had sparked previously unfelt attraction to the devoted black dragon; how Toothless had assuaged his own concerns; how they had experimented. That, in turn, led to the awkward confession that Toothless’ ‘nightmare’ had been a cover for the noises. 

“Oh, aye?” Stoick raised an eyebrow. “And that night I heard you screaming and you yelled at me to go away, and Toothless roared at me, was that an excuse too?” he questioned, before realising that Hiccup had gone pale. 

“N-no, it…we did make love after that, but I really did have a nightmare…about…” Hiccup swallowed hard, and Toothless pressed closer to him. He looked Stoick in the eyes and continued, “I dreamt that you found out about us, and – and sentenced Toothless to death. By Blood Eagle.” 

Everyone gasped; Stoick rocked back as if he’d been struck. Hiccup’s hands clenched into fists. “You all just _stood there_ and watched Spitelout torture my best friend to death right in front of me. He was in so much pain; there was _so much blood_ …” Hiccup flinched and turned to hide his face in Toothless’ scales, clinging tightly to the dragon. Toothless crooned and hugged him with one paw. 

Nobody had expected this. Stoick was appalled. Spitelout looked insulted. Gobber was furious. Snotlout felt like he was going to be sick. They all knew, or had heard of, the horrifically cruel execution method; it hadn’t been used on Berk in generations, and then only for the most dire of crimes. Using it to punish the dragon who had helped save them time and again was unfeasible. 

At last, Hiccup lifted his head from Toothless’ shoulder. “S-sorry” he apologised, “I guess I’m not as over it as I thought I was.” The dragon crooned reassuringly. 

Stoick looked at him in dismay, as it dawned on the chief why Hiccup was so terrified that day he and Toothless were ambushed. “Hiccup. _Son_. Do…do you really believe I would do something like that to you?” he asked, half dreading the answer. Did his son really not trust him? Had he lost Hiccup’s respect? 

Hiccup shrugged a little. “It was a nightmare, dad. They’re not…I mean, they’re always…” He sighed. “In my dream, you thought I was cursed. That…that sacrificing Toothless was the only way to break the curse. Y-you said it was for my own good.” As he spoke, Hiccup clutched Toothless’ head to his chest, as if he could protect the dragon with his much smaller form. 

Stoick shook his head slowly. “No, son. Even if I did think you were cursed, I would – I would never take away someone that important to you.” His face darkened with old memories. “I only made that mistake once.” _But you nearly made it twice, you stubborn, foolish old man_ he admonished himself silently. 

“It’s okay, dad. We know you wouldn’t really hurt us like that…besides, I think I only had that nightmare cos I overheard Spitelout saying how rassragrs deserved to be put to death” Hiccup remarked casually. Spitelout made a noise like a Terrible Terror being stepped on. The crowd murmured again, but this time they seemed more sympathetic towards Hiccup, rather than disgusted. 

Stoick and Gobber turned to glare at Spitelout. “Oh, you said that, did ya?” the blacksmith asked rhetorically, “Why am I not surprised?” 

The Jorgenson patriarch scowled. “I don’t recall saying anything of the sort! The boy probably misheard me, or took it out of context. Anyway, aren’t we getting off topic? We didn’t hold this Thing to discuss me, after all” he said impatiently. 

Stoick conceded the point, and opened the discussion for anyone who wished to ask Hiccup a question about his and Toothless’…unusual proclivities. 

“You say you and Toothless are in love, but surely you don’t need to…to make love to know that” Sven remarked. “Why not just keep things platonic?” 

Hiccup rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, we don’t _need_ to make love…but we want to. It’s simple as that. We don’t want to give up something that makes us feel good…and it’s not just the sex, it’s the, the emotions and the way we’re connected through the heart bind, that makes us feel good” he tried to explain. 

“But what’s the point if you can’t even procreate and produce an heir?” demanded Hoark. He was one of the villagers who had been most against the idea of Hiccup and Toothless being a couple, considering it unnatural and vile. 

“Um, I don’t…are you really saying I’m only allowed to have sex to get someone pregnant? Just because I’m next in line?” Hiccup asked incredulously. “That doesn’t seem fair. I don’t see why there needs to _be_ a point. And it’s not as if being with Toothless stops me from ‘producing an heir’, or at least it shouldn’t.” 

Phelgma questioned, “What if Toothless scratched you with his claws, or bit you somewhere…sensitive?” She was being completely serious, and looked bewildered when Hiccup burst out laughing. “What’s so funny?” 

“Sorry” he grinned sheepishly, “it’s just the idea that he’d hurt me. I appreciate the concern, but he _never would._ Not on purpose. And if he hurt me by accident, I’d forgive him.” He looked at Toothless with an affectionate gaze, which was whole-heartedly returned. “How could I not? He gave me his heart. I don’t want to break it.” Toothless gave a loving croon. Hiccup wanted to kiss him.   

Then someone else spoke up, and Hiccup felt his stomach drop down to visit his foot. “It’s funny; I used to think you felt that way about Astrid” remarked Fredrick Hofferson, “until she came home in tears, saying that you’d chosen your dragon over her. So my question is this: why is breaking your dragon’s heart more unthinkable than breaking my daughter’s heart?” 

Hiccup took a deep breath, and faced his ex-girlfriends father. “Mr Hofferson, you have every reason to be upset with me. So does Astrid. But with all due respect, sir...you’re wrong. I didn’t want to break her heart either. That’s why I told her the truth, and left it up to her where we went afterwards. I wasn’t expecting her to join in, but Toothless is willing to share me. I don’t want to drag her into this…but I’m ready to talk whenever she is” he explained calmly. 

There was a long, uncomfortable silence…Hiccup tried to catch Astrid’s eye, but she wouldn’t look at him. Then, at last, Fredrick nodded and stepped back. 

“Are there any other questions?” Stoick asked the room at large. Nobody volunteered one. “Then I have a question – does Toothless have anything to say about this?” he inquired of the pair, looking from his son to the Night Fury. 

Hiccup looked at Toothless for a few moments, and nodded. “Yes…I’ll speak for him, if that’s alright?” Stoick nodded, and met Toothless’ gaze. Hiccup closed his own eyes and repeated his other half’s words for the rest of them to hear. 

“Chief Stoick…I know this is not…what you expected…and I’m sorry…for causing trouble…but I love your son…more than anything…and I just…want him to be happy…like he makes me happy.” Hiccup opened his eyes, smiled at Toothless; and Stoick would have to be blind to miss the adoration in their eyes. _My son is in love with his dragon…this is_ definitely _not what I expected, but…so be it._

Nodding slowly, Stoick declared “I’ve heard enough. I can’t deny that you both have something special…and I’ve realised that perhaps, being the Chief first and your father second isn’t always the best way to go about things. The trouble is, I don’t know what to do about you two. This situation is…unprecedented.” 

Hiccup smiled a bit. “I have an idea that might help; and you can put it to a vote. That’s what the Things are for, right? Cos, yeah, it’d be great if you could be my dad first and Chief second, but you can’t. Not always. And…that’s okay” he decided, letting go of his resentment. “I’m not asking you to break or change any laws on my account…you’d just have to make an exception to one of them.” 

Stoick raised an eyebrow. “Son, I’m pretty sure this whole mess is an exception to the laws of nature” he pointed out, “but what did you have in mind?” 

Hiccup stood straighter and cleared his throat. “Chief, I’d like to formally request your permission as my clan-head – and your blessing as my father – to take Toothless as my legally recognised concubine.” Surprised gasps followed that proclamation. Concubinage helped to bring new members into clans and kept their numbers up during the Dragon War, but a dragon concubine… 

Wasn’t allowed, but it wasn’t explicitly forbidden either. Hiccup had studied the laws as part of his chief training, and nowhere did it say that a concubine _had_ to be a human. If Toothless was his concubine, then their relationship would be legitimate, at least on a technicality. Gobber beamed at him. “Ha! Way to abuse those loopholes, lad. No-one ever said you _couldn’t_ have a dragon concubine!” 

As far as solutions went, it was so far out of the box that there might as well not be a box at all. Which was typical of Hiccup. Still, Stoick rather liked the idea. “You said I could put it to a vote…but an agreement of concubinage must be agreed to by the people in question, the clan-head and the Chief at minimum. And since I fill two of those roles, and I assume Toothless is on board…” 

The dragon nodded enthusiastically. Hiccup had explained the concubine idea to him, and whilst Toothless didn’t quite understand how it all worked (human rules about mating were weird), he trusted his mate. They looked back at Stoick, who continued, “I have two stipulations. The first is that you’re forbidden to tell anyone outside of Berk about this. They won’t take it well and they will try to hurt you. The second is that you continue to try and be quiet. Just because I know what you two are doing, doesn’t mean I want to _hear_ it” he grimaced. 

Hiccup briefly conferred with Toothless, and announced “We accept your terms.” Much to their surprise, Stoick grinned. “In that case, I shall make an exception…and grant your request to take Toothless as your concubine. Believe it or not, I _can_ be your father first and Chief second. At least some of the time.” 

Hiccup beamed at him, feeling so grateful. His eyes fell on Toothless, and the dragon looked at him with such joy pulsing through their bond…uncaring of the crowd watching them, Hiccup grabbed Toothless’ head and hauled the dragon in for a kiss. Fortunately, his mate had enough presence of mind to give them some privacy and blocked the view for everyone else with his wings. 

* * *

Later that day, Hiccup and Toothless took oath to each other in the sacred grove, with Gothi, Stoick and Gobber as witnesses. Or rather, Hiccup took oath on behalf of both of them. The others were pretty well convinced that thought-speak was a real thing, though; it wasn’t in Hiccup’s nature to lie, much less about something as life changing as the heart bind. They trusted him.

Then they were sworn, and Toothless was officially his concubine. The law-speakers hadn’t been pleased with Stoick for giving into that loophole, but he overrode them. His son’s happiness ought to come first for once. Hiccup kissed Toothless and this time, pushed the dragons wings away. Thus were the witnesses treated to the bizarre sight of the heir of Berk snogging a Night Fury. 

Stoick averted his gaze, partly out of modesty and partly because he just didn’t want to think about this too hard. He was trying to be supportive, but it was all so strange. Hiccup appreciated the effort, though. They talked; he apologised for his bad decisions and the misunderstandings that arose. In turn, Hiccup assuaged any other concerns he had about the two of them making love. 

That night, Stoick went to bed early. He hoped to get to sleep before anything happened…he hadn’t quite dozed off before he heard it. Muffled moans, grunts, squeaking – well, they were _trying_ to be quiet, at least. That didn’t mean they were succeeding, but still. He grimaced at the images in his head, trying to ignore the sound of his son and his son’s…concubine…celebrating their union. 

Hiccup was happy. Toothless was happy. The villagers were…not happy, exactly, but more willing to overlook the strangeness of it all. That was what really mattered. Nevertheless, Stoick reminded himself to have Hiccup find a way to soundproof his bedroom. The inventive young man could manage that, and then Stoick would never be in such an awkward situation again. _Nott, help me._

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so now this a six part series.
> 
> Have a song to go with this chapter XD. A gay duet cover of 'Beauty and the Beast'! 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeKVFlEVr8I


End file.
